Wendy Taylor, Interim Managing Director, San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

Mindfulness and gratitude are important components for improving both mental and physical health and resiliency. Whether they are viewed as attitudes or as habits, mindfulness is the act of purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judgement, while gratitude is appreciating the positive in life. Combining these two strategies every day can provide numerous benefits including reduced stress and increased focus, while allowing us time for in-depth self-reflection.

At San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, we strive to find innovative ways to inspire children to learn about our world through exploration, imagination and experimentation. We prioritize mindfulness through themed activities such as our upcoming Family Mindfulness workshops and our Winter Discovery Camp Mindful Movement Week. Our January 15 Members only event will explore the theme of mindfulness in parenting, and give children tools to be mindful in their day-to-day lives. We also help children and families foster gratitude and appreciation for different types of cultures, animals, music, art and science through our exhibits and weekly workshops.

Regular mindfulness and gratitude practice can help us become better aware of our environment, our thoughts and our actions, which in turn positively impacts our overall well-being. Please join me in reading this month’s Live Well San Diego Newsletter, which highlights organizations throughout the county who are encouraging Mindfulness & Gratitude through their programs and activities.